High (A Harry Potter Fanfiction--Dramione)

The Lake is Pretty, and So are Neville's Eyebrows

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Lavender all settled into a giant booth at the Three Broomsticks, sipping on butterbeer and toasting to Ron's seventeenth birthday. Lavender was snuggled up next to Ron, making adoring eyes at him, and every so often shooting a glare at Hermione.

Hermione wasn't really there. She was back in the Room of Requirement, waking up to Draco's sweet kisses and caresses. She replayed their post-coital conversation over and over in her head. There was no mistaking it. He had definitely asked her out. She felt silly that she was more nervous about their "date" tonight than she ever was about their plans to meet up and have sex.

Draco certainly treated her like she was more than just a physical outlet. The way he kissed her and touched her...it was like he adored her. She sometimes wondered if that was just the way he had always been with girls. A habit. But then he'd look at her like she was the moon and all her fears would melt away. And he had been so raw and open last night when he asked her to stay with him.

Oh boy, she had really stuck her foot in it. She was falling for Draco Malfoy.

"Hermiiiione? Earth to Hermione Granger." Dean waved his hands in front of her face.

"Huh? Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if anyone was up for a little botanical recreation?"

Hermione looked around the group. They all had obviously already given their consent to the plan and were just waiting for her.

"Um...I mean..."

She really, really didn't want a repeat of the last time they got high at Hogsmeade. This time, Lavender was here, and Ron had proven that he was a very open-book type of stoner. But on the other hand, she was going to be useless as a conversationalist today, what with Draco on her mind. She might as well have an excuse for it.

"So long as we don't get as high as we did the last time we did this."

"Atta girl!"

They finished their butterbeers and made their way to a secluded area of the village. It was a nice, sunny day. The air carried a bit of a chill, but not so much that it would be terribly uncomfortable to be outside. The butterbeer had warmed them all considerably.

"Anyone not done this before?" Dean addressed the group.

Neville and Lavender raised their hands. Seamus had gotten high enough times with Dean that he was quite comfortable with the drug.

"Alright, well I've been told in the past that I should guide newbies into this gently instead of just throwing them to the wolves." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You don't want to smoke too much of this stuff your first time. You won't have built up a tolerance. So I'd say about—"

"How 'bout we just take turns and you spare everyone else the lecture, Dean?" Ginny piped up, sounding mildly irritated.

Dean looked a little put out, but not enough to stop his instructional rant on what they could expect, how they shouldn't let themselves feel paranoid because it's just a potential side effect, even about the particular blend they were about to smoke. When he was finished, he turned to Hermione. "How'd I do?"

"Great job, professor."

"Now that the rest of us are thoroughly bored, could we get on with it?" Ginny snarked.

The group took turns hitting the joint. Dean rolled another, and then another before he was satisfied that everyone had had enough. Hermione only took hits of the first and second, wanting to be level-headed for tonight. They sat on a hill which overlooked the castle, mesmerized by the effects of the light over the ripples in the lake.